The Detroit Lions came close to a championship the past year and that sense of urgency carried over into the offseason program. While the Lions didn’t have a minicamp due to their involvement in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game on July 31, they still got plenty of work in as they compete for their first title in the Super Bowl era.
That attitude presented plenty of positive storylines including Jameson Williams’s progression and Aidan Hutchinson’s recovery from a broken leg. But it also shed some light on one of the most concerning situations on the team involving a key Lions defender.
Alex Anzalone’s Contract Situation May Present an Ugly Truth for Lions
Alex Anzalone has become one of the leaders on the Lions defense since arriving in the 2021 season. Over four seasons, Anzalone has logged 395 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and 24 pass breakups, but his best performance may have come last year when he returned late in the season after suffering a broken forearm.
Anzalone’s willingness to play so quickly after the injury further endeared himself to the Lions fan base but he may be using it to seek a long-term commitment as he enters a contract year.
At 30 years old, Anzalone is likely looking for one final pay day to stay in Detroit. The problem is that the Lions have a stable of young linebackers waiting to step in and have more pressing contracts to cross off their to do list.
It starts with what the Lions already have at linebacker. Jack Campbell has become a leader after he was selected in the first round of the 2023 draft and strong-side linebacker Derrick Barnes was rewarded with a three-year, $24 million contract extension earlier this offseason. With Malcolm Rodriguez recovering from a torn ACL, the Lions probably will need Anzalone back in the lineup soon but they also added Zach Cunningham to make up for his absence during training camp.
Then there are some of the other stars who are waiting to get paid. The Lions were wise to take care of safety Kerby Joseph but they still need to reach long-term agreements with Williams and Hutchinson and have another big contract on the horizon with running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Dan Campbell told reporters he was not concerned with Anzalone’s absence but an Instagram post earlier this month is enough to make fans wonder about his long-term future. It’s a situation that likely gets resolved before training camp but could bleed into practices, leaving Detroit’s defense without one of their leaders.